Prescription Drug Abuse—Memory

Every day, you have different experiences and you learn new things. Your brain cannot store all of that information, so it has to decide what is worth remembering. Memory is the process of storing and then remembering this information. There are different types of memory. Short-term memory stores information for a few seconds or minutes. Long-term memory stores it for a longer period of time.

Memory doesn’t always work perfectly. As you grow older, it may take longer to remember things.

It’s normal to forget things once in awhile. We’ve all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. If you are a senior who forget things more often than others your age, you may have mild cognitive impairment. Forgetting how to use your phone or find your way home may be signs of a more serious problem, such as

If you’re worried about your forgetfulness, see your health care provider.

NIH: National Institute on Aging

Memory loss (Medical Encyclopedia)
Mental status testing (Medical Encyclopedia)
Remembering tips (Medical Encyclopedia)

If you take a medicine in a way that is different from what the doctor prescribed, it is called prescription drug abuse. It could be

Taking a medicine that was prescribed for someone else
Taking a larger dose than you are supposed to
Taking the medicine in a different way than you are supposed to. This might be crushing tablets and then snorting or injecting them.
Using the medicine for another purpose, such as getting high

Abusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. These include opioids, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.

Every medicine has some risk of side effects. Doctors take this into account when prescribing medicines. People who abuse these drugs may not understand the risks. The medicines may not be safe for them, especially at higher doses or when taken with other medicines.

NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse